Sunday, February 27, 2011

I use the Complete Tightwad Gazette for inspiration and ideas--ways to keep myself on track and frugal, and glean some creative ideas to use the things I already have. One thing Amy Dacyzcyn talks about a couple of times is refrigerator dough. I'd always meant to make it, but never made the time. I'd kick myself--she included a letter from a reader who talked about making Tightwad Turnovers with the dough and leftovers, and I thought it sounded ingenious. (I'm a big fan of using leftovers in new and inventive ways.)

So I did a search--none of my cookbooks have the recipe for refrigerator dough--and found a recipe here. I planned a quiet weekend--last weekend was extra busy, as I had people over for dinner not once, but twice--and I could use a break. HA!

So after doing my share of trashy-novel reading, floor sweeping and mopping, and rerun-watching, I decided to try my hand at the dough. It was actually pretty easy. Today, I made calzones/turnovers with the dough and leftover turkey I had in the freezer. It was really easy and the calzones turned out well. I rolled out a 1/4 cup ball of dough into a circle (or circle like object--let's face it, my turnovers aren't pretty), spread some Dijon mustard over them, put a little bit of cheese on it, some mushrooms, and some cut-up turkey (and in some I put in spinach). I cooked up some homemade soup I had in the freezer, made a couple of rolls with the little dough I had leftover, and cooked one of the turnovers (400 degrees for 15 minutes or so). The rolls were really good--if you like the Pillsbury type rolls, they reminded me of that but much, much better. The turnover was tasty, and I wrapped the rest and put them in freezer bags. There's a toaster oven at work, so I'll bring one to lunch each day. We'll see how they do after being frozen!

It was a challenge at first--I kept overfilling them. Less is more, I must keep that in mind. But I liked this. I plan on making this again--it was very, very easy. I especially like the idea of having dough ready for rolls in the fridge and a creative way to use all kinds of leftovers. Any kind of meat or vegetable with the right seasonings will make a nice turnover/calzone. Packing a lunch has been a challenge sometimes--I either wake up late or, if the weather is hairy, I'm so busy digging my car out that I just don't have the time or energy to make the sandwich (yes, I know! I know! And I could make the sandwich the night before but they can get soggy). This will help a lot--I can grab one out of the freezer. Here's hoping they taste just as good after being frozen. I'll post about it tomorrow.

Followers

About Me

This blog is called Feral Homemaking because unlike other blogs out there, I am not a stay-at-home mom (no kids, actually, though I love being an aunt) or a full-time homemaker. I work a paying job that I quite enjoy. I was never one of those people who couldn't do basic things like laundry, but I had a lot to learn, and am still learning.
This blog is for anyone--anyone at all--who enjoys cooking, who wants to pick up different ways to save money, or who wants to improve their homemaking skills. Even if you work full time, you have to eventually have to do this stuff.
At any rate, you'll all feel better about the skills you already have since, frankly, you'll hear more about my misadventures than my triumphs.